{"podcast":{"title":"Practice Disrupted by Practice of Architecture","slug":"practice-disrupted-by-practice-of-architecture-804792","podcast_index_feed_id":804792,"rss_url":"https://feeds.captivate.fm/practicedisrupted/","website_url":"https://practiceofarchitecture.com/podcast/","image_url":"https://artwork.captivate.fm/a7351a17-e837-44ba-b6cd-d16279cd41bd/WTx3hzqmiBf-0YwaX4XHFYaE.jpeg","author":"Evelyn Lee","episode_count":281,"summary":"The evolution of architectural practice has been relatively slow towards change, yet modern shifts in business and design management have prompted today's leading architects to rethink how they work. On Practice Disrupted, Evelyn Lee, FAIA, NOMA, an architect, angel investor, fractional COO, and Founder of Practice of Architecture, sets out to illuminate the future of the profession to help architects remain relevant and valuable in a changing world. She will explore how technology, cultural shifts, and emerging best practices are prompting firm owners to reassess their business models and adjust their studios. Each episode features an industry leader who explores the new frontier of architectural practice.","last_synced_at":"2026-07-02T20:21:15.515737+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/practice-disrupted-by-practice-of-architecture-804792"},"episode":{"title":"227: Beyond the Tools: What It Actually Takes to Build a Digital Practice","slug":"227-beyond-the-tools-what-it-actually-takes-to-build-a-digital-practice","published_at":"2026-03-19T10:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/practice-disrupted-by-practice-of-architecture-804792/227-beyond-the-tools-what-it-actually-takes-to-build-a-digital-practice","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/practice-disrupted-by-practice-of-architecture-804792","url":"https://practiceofarchitecture.com/podcast/","audio_url":"https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/76ef0282-03b7-40dc-98d3-b3d97406a32f.mp3","summary":"Why does the architecture profession have a technology adoption problem that has almost nothing to do with technology? This week on Practice Disrupted, Evelyn sits down with Melvin Williams III , a Digital Practice Leader at HKS, to explore the underlying machinery of firm transformation. Melvin shares his unconventional path from being a trainee at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, where he first viewed architecture as a single component within a massive operational system, to founding his own consulting firm and eventually leading digital strategy at one of the world’s largest architecture practices. Together, they discuss why the real barrier to innovation isn't the software we use, but the leadership and culture required to sustain it. The conversation dives deep into the \"messy\" reality of digital transformation. Melvin reflects on his years as a consultant at Microdesk, where he observed that while firms are often fluent in project execution, they struggle with the \"bridge building\" needed to evolve their business models. He challenges the industry's historical reliance on 2D artifact production and explains why technology should be viewed as operational leverage rather than just an overhead expense. By shifting the focus from BIM libraries to system-level thinking, Melvin illustrates how firms can move past the \"horse and buggy\" mentality to embrace a more integrated, data-driven future. \"Architecture can't really remain centered on artifact production. It has to evolve towards system level thinking about delivery. And when you do that, you start to see that the advantage is going to belong to firms that can design both buildings and the mechanisms by which those buildings are delivered. And that's digital practice, right?\" - Melvin Williams III Thi…","meta_description":"Why does the architecture profession have a technology adoption problem that has almost nothing to do with technology? This week on Practice Disrupted, Ev…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":3399,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/practice-disrupted-by-practice-of-architecture-804792/episodes/227-beyond-the-tools-what-it-actually-takes-to-build-a-digital-practice/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/practice-disrupted-by-practice-of-architecture-804792/227-beyond-the-tools-what-it-actually-takes-to-build-a-digital-practice.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}